Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-04-06
Republican Protest

In the State Senate yesterday MIR. Nc
Donald presented the following, asking 10
have it spread on the Journal:
Whereas in the appointment of the committee
from this body to confer with the bondholder5 tue
presiding officer has in the selection OF said COM
mittee, utterly ignored the republican members
thereof, thereby indicating that the republicans
of Virginia opposed to the settlement OF her
debt; and whereas the people OF Nirglnla-oemo-
Gratis and republicans alike-are taxpayers ana
sharers in the common veal or Voc; and whereas
when the interests of the people OF either party
are jeopardized they look for assistance from
those who represent them; therefore we, the re-
publican members of the Senate, representing IN
this body the republicans of Virginia, do most
earnestly protest against being accredited by i'm
plication being opposed to the settlement of the
debt and we hereby affirm our determination to
assist in and stand by any settlement which has
for its basis the Riddeberger bill.
Mr.. Mcdonald stated that he offered this
protest because the republican party had
been entirely overlooke ed in the appointment
of the committee.
Mr.. Berry said the question was whether
the Senate would order to be spread upon
| its record paper that contains allegations
which are untrue.
| Mr.. Massey said that it was not customa.
ry for the chair to take part in discussions
of this sort upon the floor, but now he felt it
| to be his duty. He had endeavored not to
regard men as party men, but in their at
titude towards the debt and be had done
this to the best of his ability by appointing
democratic debt-payer, republican debt
payer and democratic reGdjuster, though
all might be considered readjusters now. If
such course as desired by the signers OF
the protest was followed, a committee would
have to be appointed TO find out what con-
stituted republican, and then whether a
man measured up to the standard. In this
instance he was perfectly satisfied General
Wicknam was heightened gentleman and
an honest man, and he was willing to take
his statement as to what party he belonged.
Mr.. Massey said that the allegations con-
tanned in the protest were untrue, and that
the paper was not such as is contemplated
by that section of the rules which permits q
senator to file protest with the consent of
one third of those present. He therefore
ruled the protest out of order.
Mr.. Mcdonald said he favored the com
mittee suggested by the President to invest
igate the political status of the senators,
and recommended that the first man exam
| ined should be the honorable President OF
the Senate.
Mr.. Diggs rose to point of order. He
said Mr.. Mcdonald was .ransgressing the
latitude of personal privilege. The chair
sustained the point of order.
Mr.. Causey appealed from the decision Of
the chair, bat it WAS sustained by the vote
Of IS to g.
a number Of motions of various charac
ters were made and The question became
quite complicated The Chair, in stating
the question before the Senate, said that
Mr.. Mcdonald arose to personal priei-
lege, and proceeded to read a speech which
he had evidently written before coming into
the chamber and
Messrs. Causey and Mcdonald both
sprang to their feet in rather excited man
ner. Mr.. Causey began to say something,
but MIR. Mcdonald was recognized, who
said "Sir, don't know how we'll you can
write.n Mr.. Mcdonald then seemed to cool
down, and said that be desired that the mat
ter between himself and the Chair should
not assume personal character. 1t was
entirely his business whether his speeches
were prepared in or out of the chamber.
Mr.. Causey appealed from the decision Of
the Chair in ruling out of order the protest.
1t was agreed to pass the appeal by in or
der that General Wickham should arrive
and have an opportunity of explaining the
status of his politics.